Emergency tire chain



Feb. l5, 1949. H. P. HUEFMAN |=:r AL

EMERGENCY TIRE. CHAIN Filled March 24, 1947 Patented Feb. 15, y1949 Ilal I. Huii'r'mamRock'ford, and Ralph B. Snively,

f Winnebago, lll.

- 'ApplicationfMarch 24, 19497,A Serial No. 736,818

6 claims. (ci. 152-233) One obj ect is to provide an emergency tire chain having a tightener which is held closed in a novel mannerr under the tension .createdv in the chain.

A more detailed object is to provide an emergency chain tightener having a member adapted toV swivel about the plane of the chain and pivotally connected to a lever swingable toward the chain and urged laterally into locked position under the tension on the chain.

' .A further object is to provide. an emergency chain adapted to be threaded through a vehicle wheel and having a novel means for-holding the chain against lateral shifting relative to the wheel.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent .from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in 'which Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improved emergency chain together with a fragment of the vehicle Wheel.

Fig. 2 is a side view'withparts of the wheel and tire shown in phantom. A

. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary section taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.v

Fig. Llis a. fragmentary perspective view of the chain tightener. l Figs .5 and Snare sections taken respectively along the lines 5--5 and 6-6 of Fig. '3.

The emergency chain shown in the drawings for purposes vof illustration comprises two lengths Ill of chain adapted to extend around the tread I I of a tire and be fastened to the latter through thefmedium of anelongated strap I2 threaded throughy a hole I 3 in a vehicle wheel I4, the chain member I8 about an axis 24 (Fig, 5) extending transversely of the axis 20. Herein, this fulcrum is defined by lugs 25 projecting outwardly through holes in the yoke legs.- The fulcrum end of the lever is longitudinally slotted as indicated at 26 to receive an eye 21 on one end of a link 428 which y eye is hooked through a hole 29 punched in the being tensioned around the tire by a tightener indicated generally, at I5.

Herein, the strap `I2 is made of metal and generally of J-shape with the long leg connected to a crossbar I6 fastened at opposite ends to' the ends of the chains I0. y

The other chain ends are similarly connected to a crossbar I'I on one end of an elongated substantially at member I8 which supports the operating parts of the tightener I5. The latter includes a swivelingelement in the form of a-yoke I8 mounted on the other end of the member I8 to turn about an axis 20 (Fig. 5) disposed substantially normal to the member I8. This axis is defined by a rivet 2| connecting the member I8 and the abutting closed end of the yoke I9 and offset laterally from the center of the yoke.

An elongated lever 22 is fulcrumed at one end on the projecting ends of the yoke I9 for swinging of its Afree end 23 against and away from the lever intermediate the ends thereof and ,substantially on the longitudinal center line so as to be offset laterallyl from the swiveling axis 20 of the yoke I9. The other end of the link 28 is interlocked with an eye on a link 30 whose. other end is formed with a hook 3| which may be received in a selected one of several holes 32 spaced along the yfree end of the J-shaped strap I2. This completesthe loop of the chain which may be broken topermit removal of the tire by releasing the tightenerv I5 and unhooking the link 3U.

The tension ofthe chain after the latter has been tightened around thetire is utilized to hold the tightenery I5 against accidental release during serviceV use. As above described, the force whichgis applied through the link 28 to the lever 22 veccentrically of the yoke axis 20 tends to swing the lever clockwise as viewed in Fig. 2 and carry the free end 23 thereof laterally across the member 8. If at this time the lever end 23 is disposed against the member I8, this end will enter beneath a lug 33 which overlies the lever 22 and is connected rigidly to the member I8 through a downwardly bent portion 34 which constitutes a stop for limiting the lateral swing of-the lever. In use, the tire chain above described is applied to a vehicle wheel by rst uncoupling the hook 3| and releasing the tightener I5. lThis is accomplished by swinging the lever 22` counterclockwise out from under the lug 33 as shown in phantom in Fig. 2, and then pulling the free end 23 of the lever outwardly and away from the member I8 thereby allowing the link 28 tomove along the member I8 so as to elongate the chain as a whole. The short leg of the strap I2 is then threaded through the wheel I4 as shown in Fig. 1, and the hook 3| is entered in a selected one .of-the holes 32. Next, the lever 22 is swung downwardly about the axis 24 to carry the link 28 into the yoke slot 26 and thus shorten ythe chain which becomes tensioned around the tire. In this motion, the lever 22 is swung laterally as shown in phantom in Fig. 2 so as to pass the lug 33 and come against the member I8. In this movement, the link 28 moves past the center 24 so that the tension of the chain then becomes effective to hold the lever end 23 against the member I 8.

Finally, the free end of the lever is moved or allowed to move by the action of the chain tension laterally in beneath the lug 33 and against the stop 34. The tightener is now locked in closed position because the tension of the chain continues to act eccentrically of the axis and thereby hold the lever against the stop 3A. The lever may, however, be swung laterally out from under the lug 33 whenit is desired to release the tightener and release the chain from the wheel by reversing the procedure described above.

Means is provided for lholding the chain thus applied against sidewise movement relative to the wheel Hl under the unbalanced centrifugal forces due to the excess weight of` the tightener l5, Herein, this means comprises a lug 3o formed on the inner side of the strap i2` atthe bend gthere- -of a chain terminating in an end member, a yoke with. its closed end abutting said member and pivotally cennected thereto to swivel about an axis perpendicular to said member, a tongue havingv a fork at one end with the legs thereof pivotally connected to the legs of said yoke to turn f about an axis extending transversely oi said iirst axis, a link detachably connectable to the other end of said chain connecting theA free end of said tension link to said tongue intermediate the ends thereof and at a point offset laterally from said iirst axis whereby the tension on said link tends to swing said tongue laterally, and a lug' on said member limiting suchv lateral swinging of said tongue and overlying the same to hold the'free end of the tongue adjacent said member.

2. rlhe combination oi a length of chain terminating in a member at one end, a yoke element projecting from said member and swiveledthereon to turn about an axis substantially normal to the member, a leverulcrumed on the out end of the yoke legs for swinging of the free end of the. lever against vand away from said member, the fnlcrum end of said lever being slottedalong a longitudinal line offset laterally from the ysaid axis, a tension link detachably connected at one endk to the other end of said chain and 'connected at its other end to said lever at the closed end of said slot so asto lie in the latter and said yoke when the free end of said lever is against said member, said lever being swung laterally under the tension applied to said` chain, and means on said member receiving the lever when the latter is swung laterally and acting to hold the free lever end against said member. f

3. The combination of a length of chain having a flat member at one end and a tension link at'the other, a yoke swiveled on said member to turn about an axis normal thereto, an elongated lever pivotally connected at one end to the legs of'said yoke to swing toward and away from said member, means connecting said tension link to said lever intermediate the ends of the latter and offset laterally from said iirst axis, and means on said member providing a notch opening laterally toward said lever to receive said lever when the latter. is disposed adjacent said member and swung laterally under the tension of said chain.

4. The combination of a length of chain having a dat member at one end and a tension link at .the other, a yoke swiveled on said member to turn about an axis normal thereto, a lever pivotally connected at one end to the legs of said yoke to swing toward and away from said member, means connecting said tension link to said lever intermediate the ends of the latter and at a point offset laterally from said rst axis and lying closer to said member than the fulcrum of the' lever, and means on saidmember Vproviding a notch opening laterally towardsaid tongue to receive'said tongue when the latter'is disposed adjacent said member and` swung, laterally under the tension of said chain.

5. The combination of a length of chain terminating in a member at oneend, an element projecting from said member andswiveled theretension applied to said chain, and means onsaidv member receiving the lever when the. latter is swung laterally and acting to hold the freeV lever end against said mem-ber.

6. An emergency tire chain having, in combination, a metal strap adapted to 4be threaded lthrough a. vehicle wheel, a, chain connected atone. end t0 one end of Asaid strap :and at the kother end to an elongated member, a link detachably connectable at one end to the other end of said strap, a tightener connecting said Vmember and the other end of said link so as to lie at one side ofthe tire andi wheelto whichA the chain is applied, and a stop rigid with said strap on the insidethereoflat a -point spaoedfrom saidlink and operable to engage the vehicle wheel and limit endwise threading of said Vstrap therethrough under the cen. trifugal force `due tof the weight of said member and 'tightenen HAL P.' HUFFMAN. RALPI-I B, SNIVELY.

REFERENCES CITED The following. references are of record inthe le of this patent:

UNITED ,STATES Piurnn'rs Kane* Mar. 30, 1943 

